Construction of railway-cars.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

B. P. MONROE.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1901.

5 SHEBTS-SHEET l.

, N 801,099. PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905. E. I. MONROE. I

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY OAR-S.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17.1901.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17.190].

PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

E. P. MONROE.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CAR-S.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 17,1901.

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E. P. MONROE. ONSTRUGTION OF RAILWAY (JARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1'1, 1901.

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ITED STATES PATENT orrion.

EDlVIN PEAR MONROE, OF RIVERTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO OLELWIENTE. LLOYD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed June 17. 1901. Serial No. 64,864.

To fill whrmt it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN PEAR MONROE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Riverton, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvenients in the Construction of Railway- Oars, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a metallic car which will in all of its parts be at once stronger, lighter, simpler in construction, and less in cost than such cars as usually built.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a box-car constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the center of the bolster. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line b I), Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan 2o View on the line (Z (Z, Fig. 1. Figs. 5 to 10, inclusive, are sectional views illustrating the manner of connecting the plates of which the body of the car is composed. Figs. 11 and 12 are enlarged views illustrating different methods of connecting the sides and flooring of the car to the sills of the car-frame. Figs. 13 to 16, inclusive, are views illustrating the various methods of connecting the roof to the side and end structures of the car Fig. 17

is a longitudinal section of the body of a gondola car constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 18 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 19 is a transverse section of another form of gondola car-body embodying my invention. Fig. 20 is a transverse sec- -tion of the body of a flat-car constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 21 is a longitudinal section of one end of the same. Fig. is a plan view of one corner of the same. Fig. 23 is a transverse section of another form of flat-car embodying my invention, and Fig. 24 is a longitudinal section of part of the same.

In previous constructions of steel cars it has been deemed necessary to use plates of considerable thickness in order to withstand the shocks and blows to which they are subjected in ordinary service, as the customary method of connecting the plates by means of 5 a single row of rivets through holes punched or drilled through the edges of the plates so greatly weakens them that only about fiftytive per cent. of the strength of the plate is retained. Furthermore, the weight of the plates employed has been such as to bring the center of gravity of the car so high above the truck that the cars have been pronounced topheavy and dangerous to run at high speed,

especially around curves and over crossings.

One of the objects of my present invention is to dispense to a very large extent with riveting and with the formation of rivet or bolt holes in the plates of which the body of the car is constructed, whereby owing to the retention of the full strength or almost the full strength of the plates the thickness of the latter may be very largely reduced without reducing the strength of the car, thereby not only eliminating dead-weight, but overcoming the objection of top-heaviness, to which reference has been made.

The use of the thinner plates in the construction of the car-body is rendered possible by the employment in connection with the same of clamping-bars which unite said plates and form a skeleton frame somewhat similar to that of a modern steel-frame building, the plates not being necessary for strength, but filling the spaces between the clamping-bars which constitute the frame of the car-body.

In Figs. 1 to 4: the side plates of the car are represented at 1, the roof-plates at 2, the clamping-bars for the side plates at 3, and the clamping-bars for the roof-plates at 4., the method of connection being that represented in Fig. 5-that is to say, the edge of each of the side or roof plates is turned back upon itself so as to form a bent flange 5, which is engaged by a reversely-bent flange 6 of the clamping-bar. The edges of the plates and also the edges of the clamping-bars are stiflened by reason of these bent flanges, and as the clamping-bars of the roof are preferably in line vertically with the clamping-bars of the sides the car has a framework consisting of arches having members extending upwardly from each side sill and connected by top or roof members, the whole being of such a.

rigid character as to eflectually resist any strains to which they may be subjected in the ordinary use of the car.

The ends of the car are constructed in the same manner as the sides and roof, each corner of the car-body being either round or square and formed by bending one of the plates 1 as shown in Fig. 4:. The roof-plates are, by preference, made much lighter than the side and end plates of the car, as greater strength is required in said sides and ends in order to support the roof and to resist the pressure of freight from the inside and the shocks and blows at the ends and sides of the car received in service.

The clamping-bars 3 and 1 may consist of simple flat plates with inwardly-bent edges, as shown in Fig. 5, or the bars, especially those for the sides and ends of the car, may, if desired, be of heavier eonstruction-for instance, of the form shown at 3 in Fig. 6 or of the ribbed form shown at 3" in Fig. 7 or the clamping-flanges may form part of an l-beam' such, for instance, as shown at 3 in Fig. 9 or the clamping-bar may be used in connection with an T-beam independent thereof-such, for instance, as shown at 3 in Fig. 10this latter construction being employed in those portions of the car frame where special strength is desiredas, for instance, at the sides of the doorways or adjacent to the corners of the car.

The clamping-bars are, by preference, on the outside of the ear-body, so that no obstruction is presented on the interior of the car to interfere with the handling or free movement of the freight, although 1 may in some cases for greater strength employ clamping-bars both on the inside and outside of the car, as shown, respectively, at 3 and 3 in Fig. 8, the end portions of each of the plates 1 in this case having horizontally formed incisions in them at intervals, so as to permit of the turning of flanges alternately to theinsideand outside of the plate, as shown, respectively, at 5 and 5 in Fig. 8. Theends and sides of the car may be further strengthened by bolting thereto on the inside a continuous plate, which may extend from door to door and across the end of the car and from the floor to any required height, such a plate being shown at 7 in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and having the efi'ect of strengthening the lower portion of the car-body without materially raising the center of gravity of the same or instead of the continuous metal plates wood may be used,or a combination of the plates and wooden panels or sheathing, if preferred, as my invention in its broader embodiment is not limited to an all-metal car. here the T-beam structure is adapted in connection with the clamping-plates, the internal wooden sheathing 7, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, may be grooved or recessed for adaptation thereto, as shown in Fig. 9, or wooden panels 7" maybe fitted between the webs of the inwardly-projecting T-beams, as shown in Fig. 10. The floor of the car may also be composed of a metal plate such as shown at 9 in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 covered with a wooden sheathing, such as shown at 10, or the metal or wood alone may be used, as desired.

Difl'erentmethods maybe adopted for securing the sides, ends, and flooring of the car to the sills. Thus in Fig. 11 is shown a twopart channel-bar 11, constituting one of the side sills of the car, the bottom of the side plate 1 being bent inwardly, as shown at 12, so as to rest upon the top of the sill and the clamping-bar 3, and its inwardly-bent flanges 6 being pressed together and carried downwardly, so as to overlap the outside of the channel-bar, to which they are secured by means of a transverse bolt 13, provided with a suitable nut, or a rivet may be used, if de sired, the use of the bolt and nut being preferred, however, as it permits of the ready release of the top structure of the car from the sills when it becomes necessary to remove the body of the car from the sills.

In Fig. 12 1 have shown another method of connection in which a T-beam or lE-beam 14: is used as a side sill in place of the channelbar, as shown in Fig. 11, the plate 1 being bent inwardly on top of the flange of the sill and the plate 3 and flanges 5 and 6 being bent inwardly beneath said flange and being secured thereto by means of a vertical bolt 15, which also serves to secure in place the floorplate and sheathing.

The upper portion of the car is preferably stayed or braced by means of tie-bars 16, extending transversely of the car just below the roof, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and these tie-bars serve to prevent spreading of the top of the car by the weight of the roof or when. the same is loaded with snow or ice. I prefer to use for the purpose channelbars, as shown, the ends of these bars being flattened and bent upwardly, as shown at 16, Fig. 13, or downwardly, as shown at 16 Fig. 15, or otherwise formed, so that they can be secured to the sides of the car by means of a transverse bolt and nut, such as shown at 17 in Fig. 13, or by means of a rivet or other equivalent fastening. Rounded bars or rods with eyes at the ends may be used in place of channel-bars. The tie-bars may, if desired, be extended through the sides of the car and caused to embrace the outer edges of the roof, as shown at 16 in Fig. 14, serving in this case to confine the roof vertically to the sides of the car, as well as to pre' vent lateral spreading of the same, or instead. of thus using the ends of the tie-bar itself as a retainer 1. may employ a special clip-such, for instance, as shown at '19 in Figs. and 16, this clip being secured in place by the bolt 17.

The longitudinal sills of the car consist of T-beams in addition to the channels 11,

constituting the side sills, the channels being employed for the side sills because of the neat-er finish which they present, but all of the forms employed being ordinary commercial forms which can be purchased in any quantity in the open market, one of the main aims of my invention being to construct the car of such commercial forms or of plates in order to render unnecessary the use of the ponderous and expensive machinery now em- IIO ployed in producing the pressed-steel forms ordinarily used in the manufacture of metal cars.

The sills of the car are trussed by means of truss-rods 21, which pass beneath transverse struts 22, interposed between the same and the sills 11 and 20, the ends of the intermediate truss-rods 21 passing through the body bolsters of the car and being provided with tightening-nuts at the ends, as shown in Fig. 1, and the outer truss-rods being, by preference, connected at the ends to eyes on certain stirrups of the body-bolster and each being provided with atightening turnbuckle or nut 23. By thus trussing the sills of the car the desired strength and rigidity of the framework is insured without the necessity of employing heavy beams for the sills, thereby reducing the weight of this portion of the car structure to any desired minimum.

The body-bolster consists of two plates 24 and 25, Figs. 1, 2, and 2, bent into U or channel form, one being somewhat smaller than the other, so that the two plates can be fitted or telescoped together, the channels being deeper at the center than at the ends of the bolster, so as to have great strength in cross-section without dead-weight of material to be carried where it is not required.

It will be noted that the bolster has four thicknesses of metal in vertical section and but two in horizontal section, and as the parts are not weakened by rivet-holes for the purpose of securing them together the full strength of the metal is retained and the bolster presents rigid resistance to strain or shock in all directions. The bolster is further strengthened by means of the stirrups, whereby it is secured to the sills of the car, there being five of these stirrups on each bolster-namely, the central stirrup 26, the outer end stirrups 27, and the intermediate stirrups 29so that where each of these stirrups is located the bolster has, in effect, six thicknesses of metal in vertical section and three in horizontal section. (See Fig. 2.) The central stirrup carries the center bearing for the truck-bolster, which is constructed as hereinafter described. The intermediate stirrups 29 carry the side bearings 30, which by contact with similar hearings on the truck-bolster limit the swing of the car body, and truck in respect to each other and the outer stirrups 27 carry the eyes 31, Fig. 1, to which the outer truss-rods 21 of the car body are attached. The bod y-bolster is further stiffened at the center by means of an internal channel 32, Figs. 1, 2, and 2, which carries the kingbolt 33, whereby the truck and body bolster are pivoted together, said internal channel being held in place by means of transverse bolts, pins, rivets, or other suitable fastenings.

The body of the gondola car shown in Fig. 17 is composed of plates 1 and clamping-bars 2, similar to those used in forming the body of the box-car; but each plate and clamp-bar is continuous throughout the two sides and floor, of the body by which construction cars of any capacity may be made within the limits of the length of the plates and according to the number of plates used. In cars of this type the upper edge of the body is preferably stifiened by bending the plates around a rod 76, Figs. 17, 18, and 19, so as to form a bracing and stiffening rib extending around the entire edge of the car. The body of this car is so stiffened by the clamping-bars and edge rod that no stakes are necessary to resist lateral pressure upon the sides.

In Fig. 19 the arrangement of the plates is different from that shown in Fig. 17, the plates running longitudinally of the car-body instead of transversely, but being connected together in the same manner as in the box and gondola cars. For cars of limited capacity but three longitudinal plates will be necessary, as shown; but cars of greater capacity may be made by adding other plates, or a combination of the method shown in Figs. 17 and 19 may be employed in the same car.

The flat-car shown in Fig. 20 comprises longitudinal bars 77, between which are interposed plates 79 with downwardly-bent flanges forming channels, these channels being interposed between the bars 77 and the whole structure being connected by any desired number of transverse bolts 90, collapse of the channels being prevented by tubular braces or filling-pieces 91, interposed between the side flanges of each channel and surrounding the bolt 90. At each end of the car a transverse channel-beam 92 incloses the ends of the bars 77 and channels 79 and is secured thereto by vertical bolts or rivets 93. Filling-pieces 9&1 are inserted into each of the channels 79 at each end, these filling-pieces being preferably of channel form,.as shown in Fig. 21. Each of the corners of the car is by preference further stifiened by means of an angle-plate 95, as shown in Fig. 22.

In Figs. 23 and 24: I have shown another form of fiat-car body in which the floor of the car consists of a flat plate 96 or a series ofsuch plates, to the under side of which are secured transverse channel-bars 97 and 99, which are made in sections separated by longitudinal bars 100, similar to the bars 77, these bars being perforated for the passage of the transverse confining-bolts 101, whereby the entire structure is secured together, the bearing of these bolts against the bottoms of the transverse channel-bars 97 and 98 serving to support the bars 100 in their proper vertical position. The ends of the car'so constructed are substantially the same as the ends of the car shown in Figs. 20 to 22.

Any of the flat-car constructions shown may be used in place of the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 1 for the support of the body of the box-car, the latter being so constructed that it can be placed upon and secured to any form 01 flat-car construction to convert the same into a box-car.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A car-body composed 01 plates having at the edges backwardly-bent flanges and connecting-bars having bent flanges interlocked with those of the plates.

2. A car-body composed of plates having backwardly-bent flanges at the edges, and clamping-bars having flanges interlocking with those of the plates, said bars also having central projecting stilfening-webs.

3. A car-body composed of plates having backwardly-bent flanges at the edges and clamping-bars having flanges interlocking with those of the plates, said bars also having projectingstiffening-ribs in the form of li-bars.

L. A car-body composed of plates having at the edges, backwardly-bent flanges disposed on opposite sides of the plates, and inner and outer clamping-bars having flanges interlocking with those of the plates.

5. A car-body composed of flanged plates and clamping-bars with interlocking flanges in combination with transverse tie-bars connecting the upper portions of the sides of the car to prevent spreading of the same.

6. The combination of the sides of the boxcar body and the root with transverse channelbars at the top of the sides and close to the root, and means for connecting said channel bars to the side of the car.

7. The combination of the sides of the carbody with transverse tie-bars at the top of the same, said tie-bars consisting of channels with flattened ends secured to the sides of the car.

8. The combination of the car-body composed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping-bars with the transverse tiebars at the top of the car, said bars being slotted so as to receive and brace the elamp-bars.

9. The combination ol the car-body composed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping-bars with transverse tie-bars at the top of the car, said bars passing through the sides of the car and engaging with the edges of the roof. I i

10. The combination of the car-body having its sides and root composed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping-bars with means for securing the roof to the sides of the car.

11. The combination of the ear-body com.- posed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping-bars with the side sills of the car, and bolts or other 't'astenings for securing downwardly-extended portions of the clamp-bars to said side sills.

12. The combination of the car-body composed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping-bars, the side sills overlapped by the clamping-bars and by bent portions of the side plates, and means For securing the overlapping portion of the clampingbars to the sills.

13. The combination of the car-body coinposed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clampingbars, the side sills overlapped by bent portions of the plates and by the clamping-bars, and bolts or other fastenings for securing said overlapping portions of both the plates and clamping-bars to the side sills.

14. The combination of the car-body composed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping-bars, with an internal lining or sheathing secured to the sides of the carbody and extending part way up the same.

15. The combination of the car-body composed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping-bars having imvardly-projecting flanged webs, with an internal sheathing fitted to said flanged webs.

16. The combination of a car-body composed of flanged plates and interlocking flanged clamping bars with inwardly projecting flanged webs and an internal sheathing com posed of panels fitted between sa d flanged webs.

17. The combination of the longitudinal sills ot' the carfioor, the body-bolsters, and the transverse struts, with truss-bars bearing on said struts and secured at their ends to the body-bolsters.

18. The combination of the floor-sills of a car, with the body-bolster consisting of channels reversely arranged and fitting one within the other, and stirrups whereby said bolsters are secured to the sills of the car.

19. The combination of the floor-sills 01 a car, rods for trussing the same, body-bolsters, and stirrups for connecting said bolsters to said sills, said stirrups having eyes for connection with the truss-rods.

20. The combination of the body-bolster ot' the car with a supporting-stirrup en'ibracing and fitting closely to the sides of the same.

21. The combination of the sills of the car, the body-bolster and the supporting-stirrup embracing said bolster and fitting closely to the sides of the same, said stirrup having flanges secured to the sills.

22. The combination of the body-bolster of the car with supporting-stirrups embracing the same and carrying the side bearings of the bolster.

23. The combination of the body-bolster of the car with a supporting-stirru p carrying one of the elements of the center bearing of the bolster.

24. A railway-car comprising plates bent so as to form part of the side and part of the bottom of the car, said plates having flanged edges, and clamping-bars for the plates having flanges for interlocking with those of said plates.

25. A railway-car having plates forming part of the side and part of the bottom of the car, said plates having flanged edges,clarnpingbars having flanges interlocking With those of the plates and stiffening-rods around which the upper edges of the plates are bent.

26. A railway-car having a floor in which are combined longitudinal bars interposed hollow brace-plates and transverse tie-bars passing through said longitudinal bars and through the interposed hollow brace-plates.

27. A railway-car having a floor composed of longitudinal bottom bars interposed channel-bars and hollow braces and transverse tiebars passing through the longitudinal bars, through the flanges of the interposed channelbars, and through the hollow braces.

28. A railway-car having a floor in Which are combined longitudinal bars, interposed hollow braces, and transverse tie-bolts, and

transverse channel-bars inclosing the ends of said longitudinal bars.

29. A railway-car having a floor composed of longitudinal bars, interposed hollowbraces and transverse tie-bars, transverse channelbars inolosing the ends of said longitudinal bars, and hollow braces entering said end channel-bars between the longitudinal bars.

30. A railway-car having a floor comprising longitudinal bars, interposed hollow braces and transverse tie-bars, channel-bars inclosing the ends of said longitudinal bars and angleplates at the outer corners of said channel-bars.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

EDWIN PEAR MONROE. l/Vitnesses:

F. E. BEcHToLD, J os. H. KLEIN. 

